The Wardens
by Gabriella Rose
Summary: When the Doctor and Clara crash land in the middle of nowhere, the Doctor recruits an old friend to help them find the parts they need to fix the TARDIS - but in the process, discover something entirely new that could reshape our universe, and all of the universes around us, forever.
1. Introduction

**A/N: Woah! Hey there! It's been a while! Sorry I haven't been writing recently, but I've just been insanely busy since I started my senior year of high school. Also, school often leaves me with a lack of inspiration and motivation, both of which are typically important to a writer. **

**Anyway, I hope to begin writing much more in the near future (that's what I'm telling myself, at least), which will include finishing this fan fiction. I had a dream about it last night and woke up with the whole story in my head, so now it's just a matter of making the time to write it. I promise that I will post the next part as soon as I can, though!**

**This story is supposed to take place between The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor (I'm not entirely sure if I have the Doctor's age and facts of that sort right – please feel free to correct me if you know what they are). It begins as a Doctor Who/sort of Firefly crossover, but pretty soon it will turn into a multi-fandom extravaganza! (I did not categorize it as a crossover, however, because not any one fandom will have more characters or whatnot than the others, and there are going to be many more then just two fandoms represented here. It is primarily a Doctor Who fan fiction with references and characters from other fandoms that one does not necessarily need to know the book/movie/show to understand. They will not be huge parts of the story, although I do hope they will make it more fun!) **

**Sorry about the ridiculously long author's note, but I'm really excited about this story, so I hope you like it! I'm posting both the Introduction and Chapter One at the same time, so this author's note applies to both. As always, review and enjoy!**

The Doctor sat with his legs dangling over the ledge of the open doorway of the TARDIS, looking out at the black sky. In his hand was a cup of tea that had long-since gone cold. Unconsciously, his thumb fiddled with the handle of the cup in the same intricate pattern, over and over again; down along the curve, then outlining the lump where the bottom of the handle met the cup in a u-shape, and finally tracing the inside of the handle with the back of his thumb until he reached the top again. The only sound was the TARDIS humming softly. Clara was in her room asleep, so the Doctor was alone.

He had been there since Clara had left him over three hours ago, and the only movement he had made was the pattern with his thumb on the tea cup.

_Gallifrey may not be lost_, he thought. _My family…_

In his mind, he could see images of their faces, slightly distorted after over 900 years without seeing them, but not forgotten.

A tear slid down the Doctor's face, but he didn't move to wipe it away and only continued with the fiddling of the teacup.

The Doctor saw something enter his peripheral vision and he glanced in its direction, startled. A massive ship was floating slowly past the TARDIS. It did not seem to be close enough to be a threat, but it looked unlike anything he had seen before, so the Doctor stood up anyway and walked towards the console to check the scanner. He watched the screen as the signal from the ship blinked out of range.

When it was gone, he began to turn around to head back to the open doors, but was halted by an alert going off. And then another, and another. Within seconds, more than fifteen alarms were going off, and the Doctor was running back towards the console. The scanner was picking up signals identical to the first one coming towards him, and now at a faster speed. Spinning around, the Doctor leaped towards the still-open doors and leaned out around the corner to look. He counted seventeen ships, similar to the first one, but smaller and more agile looking. And more hostile looking.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the TARDIS and a sizeable hole was blown in the side. The Doctor yelled and scrambled to the flight controls as cuts were torn in his face from flying debris. Clara came stumbling into the control room, yelling, but the Doctor was too absorbed in trying to escape to hear her. The TARDIS shook as more shots were fired and whizzed past them. Through the hole, Clara could see the ships that were attacking them and gasped at their grotesqueness. What seemed to be blood painted the outside of each ship in different designs. Bones hung from random spots as decoration.

They kept firing at the Doctor and Clara, but none hit their mark. Finally, he was able to get the TARDIS moving, and they flew away from the attackers. Clara ran over to the Doctor and stared at him wide-eyed, waiting for an explanation. He met her gaze, his eyes just as fearful and confused as hers, and shook his head.

He had no clue who just blew a hole in the side of his ship, but he knew that he had to stop and fix it. She was already wheezing and both he and Clara needed a breather too. Watching the scanner for a planet to land on, the Doctor guided the TARDIS slowly along.

Clara walked around the console and picked up the shattered cup that had contained the Doctor's tea, ignoring the multitude of other chunks of debris that was scattered all over the TARDIS floor.

"I was just trying to enjoy my cup of tea, and they decide to blow a chasm in the side of my TARDIS! How rude!"

"Doctor, who were they," Clara asked.

"No idea, but I think that I should not like to run across them again."

"Well, sorry."

"What? What are you apologizing for?" When the Doctor looked up at Clara, he saw that she was staring over his shoulder. He followed her gaze past the console and through the hole in the TARDIS to see that three more ships were following. Grimacing, the Doctor reluctantly pushed the TARDIS to go faster. She groaned as she listed forward, trying to gain momentum.

"I know, I'm sorry old girl! Just a few more minutes, hang on!" Tremors rippled through the control room as more shots whooshed past them, barely missing each time. The Doctor stopped his frantic run around the console to check the scanner. There were no planets for them to land on in sight. He yelled in frustration, worried that the TARDIS may not make it long enough to find a place to land.

And then the shooting stopped, and the Doctor and Clara watched the three ships turn course and fly back where they came from.

"Doctor! Moon!" The Doctor spun around and saw that she was right: they were quickly passing a small moon that looked like a wonderful place to land. The Doctor changed course and carefully – but not so smoothly – landed on the surface of the moon. Clara looked at the Doctor for conformation that it was safe to leave the TARDIS and then jogged outside and searched the sky for any more ships. The sky was black and almost completely void of stars. The ships were nowhere in sight.

Clara walked back inside and saw that the Doctor was staring solemnly at the damage to the TARDIS.

"Don't just stand there! The TARDIS won't fix herself!" As she spoke, Clara began to make her way around the console, picking up the larger chunks of debris as she went. When she reached the Doctor, however, she dropped what she had gathered and turned his shoulders so that he had to look at her. There were still cuts in his face and Clara sighed and clicked her tongue as she took the sleeve of her dress to wipe off some of the blood. The Doctor flinched away and gave her a funny look.

"That's not sanitary, Clara! Are you trying to kill me?"

"I'll go get something from the medical room, then," she said, more amused than upset at the Doctor's outburst.

Once she left, the Doctor returned to his previous position – leaning one hip against the console and staring at the wreckage of the TARDIS.

_This could take days to fix. And I don't like the idea of being stuck here for days,_ he thought. _But I suppose it's unavoidable at the moment. _The Doctor did as Clara told and began to clean up.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: I apologize for the short length of these first two parts, but I promise it will get better!**

**P.S.: "The Wardens" is a working title and I may decide to title it something else later on, so don't be confused if it changes – it's still the same story!**

Clara jumped as the Doctor roared and a series of thuds and clangs proceeded.

"Are you alright? Doctor?" Clara yelled as she threw her book down and ran to the top of the stairs leading below the console.

"AHA. Yes, Clara, I'm fine. I cannot, however, say the same for our situation."

"What does that mean?"

"Good or bad news first," the Doctor asked as he and Clara sat down on the top step.

"Bad," she responded.

"Ok, well the bad news is that I don't have it."

"It?"

"It is the good news. I found out what part I need to replace."

"So you found out what part you need, but you don't have it," Clara clarified.

"Precisely."

"Wonderful," she said as she slumped her shoulders. "So now what?"

"Hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Let me get back to you."

Clara grunted and stood up to return to her book. "How exactly do you _find_ parts for a TARDIS, though. Nobody just sells them, right?"

"Not exactly, no. They're hard to find. Intergalactic museums. Junkyards. Personal galleries. Hard to say. Just have to look around and hope they turn up within a few days."

"Better get looking, then!"

"Or months," the Doctor added quietly, hoping she wouldn't hear.

"Months?!" Clara glared at the Doctor. "Do not tell me that, Doctor, because I won't be stuck out here with you for _months._"

"You won't be, I promise! We'll get help so it will go faster!"

"From who?" The Doctor stared at her for a few moments with no answer. Clara sighed and sat back down on the step.

"Wait!" She spun back around as the Doctor yelled. "Maybe…" The Doctor let his sentence trail off as he made his way towards the TARDIS phone. Clara waited as he dialed a strange and complicated-sounding number on the keypad and then held up the phone to his ear.

"Come on, pick up," he said as he bounced his leg impatiently. Suddenly, Clara heard a voice yell into the phone from where she stood and the Doctor flinched and held the receiver away from his face.

"Yes, I know it's been a long time. B-" The doctor was cut off by more yelling and what sounded like gunshots. Clara raised her eyebrows.

"Are you still there? Good, because I'm in a bit of a pickle and would really appreciate your h-" The Doctor paused again and let the sound die down some. Clara heard a sharp shout come from the receiver and the Doctor slapped the phone back to his ear.

"Are you alright? Ok, I'm sending coordinates to you now. Clara," the Doctor said as he ran to the scanner and frantically pressed buttons, "you might want to move."

Clara didn't question him and started to walk towards him.

"No! Not there?"

"Well, where then?"

"I don't know, exactly. I guess we'll just have to hope for the best."

"The best for what? Doctor! What's going on?" The Doctor didn't respond to Clara.

"Did you get them? Alright." He hung up the phone and Clara looked at him for an answer. Suddenly, there was a flash of light next to her, and when Clara jumped around to look, there was a man standing there. Clara yelped as he fell to his knees, holding his side.

"Jack! Jack, are you alright?!" The Doctor exclaimed as he bent down next to the man.

He grabbed Jack's hands gently and pulled them away from the wound he was cradling. They were covered in blood.

"Been better, Doc," he replied, and choked on the pain as he tried to laugh.

"Clara, go get the first aid kit out of the medical room, please." Clara immediately turned and ran out of the control room. The Doctor stooped down, put Jack's arm around his shoulders, and helped him into the captain's chair a few feet away. Jack grunted as the Doctor lowered him into a sitting position.

"You can't ever keep yourself out of trouble, can you?" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Sorry, just can't help myself," Jack chuckled. He looked up into the Doctor's eyes. "You changed again. How long has it been since I last saw you?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe… five, six hundred years? Maybe more. How long for you?"

Jack looked down at his watch. "As of right now, three hundred and forty-two years, thirty-six days, and eleven minutes."

The Doctor laughed and shook his head and Clara came running back into the control room, first aid kit in hand. Taking it from her, the Doctor knelt beside his friend and opened the kit.

"I've got it, here." Jack grabbed the required tools, set them on his lap, and unbuttoned the front of his shirt with some difficulty, as his hands were shaking and slippery with blood. The bleeding didn't appear to have stopped yet and as the Doctor watched Jack work at the buttons, he noticed how white he had gone. Jack finally finished opening his shirt and the Doctor began to investigate the wound.

Clara knelt on the opposite side of Jack to the Doctor and put a hand on his knee. "What happened?" she asked in a calming voice. She, too, had noticed that Jack was loosing too much blood and she was afraid to let him go unconscious. He turned to look at her and his eyes lit up.

"Hello," and a goofy smile was his response, and Clara laughed.

"Hi, but you didn't answer my question. How did this happen?" Jack glanced down at the gunshot wound in his side, as if he had forgotten it was there.

"Oh. Um, 1864. American Civil War battle that would later be known as the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek."

"Wait, you can time travel too? Doctor, he can time travel too?" Jack held up his wrist gingerly to show Clara the leather band that was wrapped around it.

"Vortex Manipulator from when I was with the Time Agency. Travels through time and space, just like the TARDIS, but not quite as smoothly. Takes some getting used to." Clara smiled and suddenly realized that she didn't even know who he was.

"What's your name, I heard the Doctor call you…"

"Jack. Captain Jack Harkness, at your service." Jack leaned forward in his seat in an attempt to bow, but inhaled sharply through his teeth at the pain and gently replaced his back against the back of the chair.

"Hey, hold still," the Doctor chastised. Clara looked down to see the Doctor pick up a large pair of tweezers off of Jack's lap and prepare to remove the bullet that still appeared to be lodged inside. The excess amounts of blood made her feel queasy, so she looked back towards Jack's face to see his eyes shut. Clara patted his leg.

"Jack, you need to stay awake a little longer. Jack!" Very gently, but with enough force to make his eyes flutter open, Clara slapped his cheek.

Jack moaned in pain, but the Doctor quickly and successfully retrieved the bullet and dropped it into a metal bowl with a clang. A few stitches and a gauze bandage was applied, then the Doctor and Clara each threw one of his arms around their necks and began to half-walk, half-drag him to a room he could lay down in. They guided him on to a bed, and before helping him lay down, removed the bloody shirt that he was still wearing.

Jack fell unconscious the moment Clara lowered his head onto the pillow.


End file.
